The launch of the Purarrka Indigenous Mining Academy

The launch of the Purarrka Indigenous Mining Academy (PIMA) on 19 May 2009 was a significant step in addressing the training and employment needs of Indigenous Australians in Western Australia.

The academy, an initiative of Ngarda Civil and Mining Pty Limited (Ngarda) and BHP Billiton, is located at BHP Billiton’s Yarrie Mine, approximately 200km north east of Port Hedland in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia. It is a state-of-the-art, well resourced learning and training environment, delivering programs that provide skills and knowledge appropriate to the local mining industry.

The launch of the academy included a graduation ceremony for 19 out of 20 Indigenous trainees. One of the female trainees could not attend the course because she could not access sufficient care arrangements for her young child.  The 19 graduates received a Certificate I in Resources and Infrastructure Operations, a mining industry recognised qualification.

The graduation ceremony was a very emotional occasion with Elders of the Nyamal people, the Traditional Owners of the mine site, addressing the graduates. Their message was clear: the times are changing, and the younger generations have opportunities that the Elders never had. The Elders said they were extremely proud to see the younger generation graduating from the course and that they should “hold their heads high, seize this opportunity and move forward”. The Elders were delighted to see two young male Indigenous trainees instructing non-Indigenous workers on the OH&S guidelines for the mine site.

This graduating class was the second to go through the training academy; the first class were a pilot group that graduated in 2008. The total number of graduates through the college to date is 29 from 34 participants.  Twenty five graduates have since progressed to full-time traineeships/ employment with various organisations.

The initial interviews for the traineeships, managed and conducted by Ngarda, highlighted the popularity of the training program amongst local WA Indigenous communities.  Some interviewees travelled from as far away as Roeburne and the Western Desert – up to 500km – for the opportunity to interview for the program.

The program, which is conducted in conjunction with the Pilbara Tafe, Pundulmurra Campus, located in South Hedland, has the following objectives. To:

• improve the lives of Indigenous Australians through access to world class, fully accredited training and education that will result in real employment outcomes within the mining and related industries
• develop strong links with local communities and industry to ensure training is, and will remain, appropriate, to key stakeholder needs and
• address barriers to success in participant’s work and personal lives through the provision of appropriately skilled and qualified mentors.

Graduates of the PIMA program

The Academy’s curriculum focuses on matching trainees’ skills and interests to vocational opportunities that exist within the mining industry.

The program provides pathways of recognition to enable participants to obtain qualifications under relevant National Training Packages.  Predominantly classroom based, the program is delivered over an intensive 12 week period. Classroom training is interspersed with worksite visits, work experience and other practical activities to ensure trainees remain interested and engaged.

It is this practical transition from the classroom to the worksite that is a key component of the program. Trainees undergo a comprehensive lifestyle development and mentoring program that enables them to enter their chosen vocation fully equipped with the tools and support needed to pursue and develop long-term, meaningful employment within various industries.

The identification of a career pathway is integral to the long-term success of the program and its trainees. Trainees undertake an elective learning unit for their identified vocation and undertake two weeks work experience in that vocation at the Yarrie Mine Site. In their second week of work experience trainees can opt to experience an alternative vocation if desired, or consolidate their learning from the first week.

Some trainees have had minimal exposure to mainstream employment outside their local CDEP work and face significant barriers in terms of their understanding of English and work culture. Much of the subliminal learning in this program occurs outside of normal working/training hours. The trainees learn how to conduct themselves, mix with others, understand the workplace culture and the discipline required to be fit for work (early nights and mornings etc), and how to balance work and family responsibilities. These issues are often taken for granted by people who have participated in a work culture for a significant period of time, but they are learned qualities and can pose a real challenge for trainees.

Thanks to Ngarda and BHP Billiton, there are now 29 graduates of the PIMA program with new skills, knowledge, a structured career path and increased self esteem. These graduates are equipped with the skills to create a worthwhile career for themselves and train the next generation from their communities. They are potential role models and a credit to themselves. With more training facilities like PIMA the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous employment will continue to be bridged.

About Ngarda

Ngarda Civil and Mining Pty Limited was formed in 2000 for the specific purpose of providing Indigenous Australians of the Western Australian Pilbara Region employment and training opportunities within the civil and mining industries. Headquartered in Perth, with operations in Port Hedland, and other parts of the Pilbara region, the company is 50% owned by Leighton Contractors Pty Limited, 25% by the Ngarda Ngarli Yarndu Foundation and 25% by Indigenous Business Australia. Since its initial inception, the company has experienced rapid organisational growth and now has a $200m a year annual turnover that puts it in the unique position of providing many Indigenous Australians life changing employment opportunities. The company’s major clients include Woodside, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto, and strives to maintain a minimum Indigenous employment ratio of 50% at all times. Throughout the 2008/2009 financial year, Ngarda Civil and Mining Pty Limited continually exceeded this goal, and maintained an Indigenous employment figure of approximately150 Indigenous Australians in fulltime work.

Ngarda is currently recruiting for the next course intake and, to date, has received 85 applications from various remote Indigenous communities across Western Australia.